This is my go to recipe when we want coleslaw for pulled pork, and it’s as good as it gets! Crunchy, tangy, not too creamy, and just a touch sweet. I like to use store-bought coleslaw mix or chopped cabbage to make prepping the slaw quick and easy. Add thinly sliced red onion, then mix with my creamy homemade coleslaw dressing. Give it a toss, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Pro tip: it’s better the longer it sits.)
Why I Love This Coleslaw
Homemade classic coleslaw is an ideal make-ahead recipe for summer cookouts because it stays crunchy without being weighed down from too much mayo. I use it to top everything from bbq chicken or pulled pork sandwiches, smokey-sweet shrimp tacos, Reubens, and more!
If enjoying as part of a larger spread, consider more make-ahead summer side dishes, like Greek orzo pasta salad with feta and olives, pecan chicken salad with grapes, creamy chicken salad with curry powder, and my no-cook broccoli salad with cashews next!
The Great Celery Debate
If you come from my husband’s family — or many Southern family’s — you likely add celery seed to homemade coleslaw. That’s cool, you do you, but I am pretty anti-celery in coleslaw and leave it out.
If you prefer, add ½ tsp celery seed to the recipe below. That should be just enough to get that flavor you’re craving!
10 Minutes Of Prep
Literally, 10 minutes is all you need to make homemade coleslaw.
Whisk together the creamy dressing ingredients and combine with bagged coleslaw mix and red onion. Toss thoroughly, then go pour yourself a well-earned drink. 😂 You worked hard, after all.
Other Ways To Enjoy Coleslaw
Coleslaw is not just for sandwiches (though it is stellar on a crispy fried Nashville hot chicken sandwich!). It pairs well with anything that might benefit from a touch of vinegar or acidity. A few ideas:
- On tacos
- In eggrolls
- As a bed for shawarma or other grilled meats, such as kebabs
- With blackened salmon, mahi mahi, or chicken
- On hot dogs or sausages (or any cold cut Italian sandwiches, yum)
- Served on top of crispy pork cutlets or juicy pan-fried chicken Milanese
If you’re not a fan of adding sugar to coleslaw, you’re likely not from the South. 😏 It’s absolutely necessary for balancing out the tang from the vinegar.
Don’t worry, this is not a super sweet slaw, it’s simply balanced.
One bite of this crunchy coleslaw and I think you’ll agree it’s hard to stop. But why would you even want to?! If you give it a try, be sure to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and review below. This one is a fan favorite for a reason!
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Light, Crunchy Coleslaw For Pulled Pork
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 14 oz bagged coleslaw mix
- ½ medium red onion thinly sliced
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine in a bowl. Place bagged coleslaw mix in a large bowl, then add ½ a thinly sliced red onion, ¾ cup mayonnaise, 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp granulated sugar, ½ tsp Kosher salt, and a couple pinches of black pepper. Use tongs to thoroughly toss.
- Refrigerate until needed, at least 1 hour (though 2 or 3 hours is better).
Notes
- Use store-bought coleslaw mix or chopped cabbage. It’s easy, it’s uniform in size, and you get a little of everything (red cabbage, green cabbage, and carrots).
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, though 2 hours is even better. You can make this 1 day in advance if you want to prep ahead.
- Don’t add too much mayonnaise.
- Coleslaw doesn’t freeze well because of the mayonnaise — it’s best enjoyed fresh!
Made pulled pork today and this slaw topped it off perfectly. Love the mild sweetness with the tang the red wine vinegar, yum! Will be making this again. I think it would be good with fish tacos as well as chicken dishes as suggested.
It is the perfect coleslaw!! We have used it for fish tacos, as well. Love that it’s not too heavy! Thanks for the review! xo, Ari
OMG! JUST found my new favorite coleslaw recipe and it only took 30 something years. THANK YOU! This is literally THE best coleslaw I’ve had….and I’ve had many, I’m from TX.
Isn’t it the best?! So good with a ton of different dishes. Thanks, Courtney! xo, Ari
Great coleslaw! Needed a good tangy crunch to accompany some leftover chicken carnitas that we were putting into tacos, and this totally fit the bill. Amazing idea to combine mayo and red wine vinegar! I added a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a touch more acidity. Thank you!
We love, love, love this coleslaw! The best crunch! xo, Ari
Thank you! I added the celery seed and green pepper. It’s in the fridge and I can’t wait to eat it with pulled pork tacos tonight 😋
YUM!!! Hope you loved the slaw — super easy to make, crisp, and refreshing! xo, Ari
Delicious and easy! Yum!
We love it too! xo, Ari
Was looking for a recipe to go along pulled pork tacos, this was incredibly quick and easy and tastes delicious!
Thanks so much, Caroline! We love this one too! xo, Ari
looking for a coleslaw recipe for pulled pork baked potatoes. Could I sub greek yogurt for the mayo?
Hi Marty! You can certainly give it a try, but the end result will be MUCH tangier, as Greek yogurt has a different flavor profile than mayo. Doesn’t mean it won’t be good, it just won’t taste the way this recipe was intended. Let me know if you give it a try. Ari
Delicious! I cut all my veg because I don’t personally like bagged salads, and I added finely sliced/matchstick gala apple. The dressing is a little tart, a little sweet, not too creamy; it went perfectly with our pulled pork. Kids and hubs loved it!
That sounds SO good! Love the idea of adding apple! xo, Ari
Love this coleslaw…the onion flavor is everything! This coleslaw only gets better with time.
Thank you, Michelle! We love it so much! xo, Ari
Made this slaw for pull pork sandwiches last month. Today we are smoking pork ribs. Guess which slaw my family wanted as a side? This time I added an extra 8 ounces shredded cabbage, but did not alter the dressing ingredient measurements. It’s marinating in the fridge now for dinner later. Can’t wait!
YESSS!! This is seriously so easy and delicious. We love a good slaw! xo, Ari
This was really good. I used 1/2 a red cabbage, skipped the sugar and substituted apple cider vinegar. Yum!
Thanks so much for the review, Joelle! xo, Ari
Can I substitute the red wine vinegar for rice vinegar?
Yes, that’s not a problem! xo, Ari
I have used this recipe twice and everyone has loved it. I used it once on pulled pork sandwiches and the second time to spruce up our Manwiches. It was delicious on both.
It’s so delicious on sandwiches! Glad you enjoyed! xo, Ari
The coleslaw is pretty good. I would cut the sugar amount in half to 1 tablespoon and add half a teaspoon of celery seed with some onion salt. Other than that it turned out nice.
Thanks for your feedback!
Perfect! It’s just the right amount of creamy and tangy. And the crunch is scrummy!
My favorite coleslaw for sandwiches!! Thanks, Kim! xo, Ari
Omg this is good! Just the right balance of sweet and tangy
Thanks, Jen! Definitely on repeat during the summer! xo, Ari
I don’t like coleslaw, but my husband does, so I decided to make this based on the reviews. This coleslaw was so good! I like coleslaw now! This will be in my regular rotation of meals.
Ha! I hear you, Allie. A lot of the time I find coleslaw to be too mayo-heavy or gloppy, but this one hits a perfect balance, is lightly sweet and creamy, and just brings a bright, fresh crunch and acidity to every dish. Thanks so much for sharing your feedback! Cheers, Ari
This recipe looks great — I’m thinking of making it for a gathering this weekend! Just wondering, are the red onions essential to the flavor? Have you ever tried it with white onions instead? A few people in our group aren’t fans of red onions. Thanks!
Hi Mel! In general, you can pretty much always substitute one type of onion for another, so hopefully you moved forward with the white onion with success. Another great option if people are sensitive to the intensity of raw onion is to switch to thinly sliced shallots (which are milder, but still retain that wonderful crunch) or to simply use thinly sliced scallions instead. Less texture overall, but also a much milder onion flavor. Enjoy! Cheers, Ari
Delicious and light!! Excellent taste. I added some celery seed about 1/2 tsp. Yummy with pulled pork (hickory smoked, maple apple flavor) sandwich.
So fantastic! We’re making a double batch this weekend for Memorial Day and I know it’s going to disappear quickly. Glad you enjoyed! Cheers, Ari